The present invention relates to container managing apparatus and method for carrying a container in and out of a container terminal in a port, loading and unloading a container in and out of a container yard by a yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) and shipping and unshipping a container in and out of a container ship by a container crane. It further relates to inside transportation carriage and method employed in the container managing apparatus and method for delivering a container between on the one hand the container crane which loads and unloads the container in and out of the container ship and on the other hand the yard crane which loads and unloads the container at a designated address in the container yard, or between the yard crane and another yard crane.
A container terminal is located at a cross point of land and marine transportations at which containers are transferred between different types of transportation means such as a container ship and a trailer (chassis). Once cargoes are packed in a container, one will know attributes of the cargoes such as kind, weight, destination and owner from a container number applied on each container and a voucher issued when the cargoes are packed in the container. The information is always transmitted with the container number and the voucher describing the attributes being as one set.
A container will pass through an entrance gate of a container terminal in a case of, for example, (1) carry-in of a container packed with cargoes (loaded containers) upon exporting thereof; (2) carry-out of a loaded container upon importing thereof; (3) carry-in of a container from which cargoes have been unpacked (empty containers) upon storage of the empty containers; and (4) carry-out of an empty container upon packing of cargoes. A container and a trailer will pass through an exit gate of the container terminal in a case of, for example, (1) exit of an empty trailer from which a container packed with cargoes (loaded container) has been transferred to a container yard; (2) carry-out of a loaded container; (3) carry-out of an empty container in which cargoes are to be packed; and (4) exit of an empty trailer from which an empty container has been transferred to the container yard.
FIG. 1 shows a containerized cargo carry-in voucher which describes physical distribution information such as the kind, weight, destination, owner and container number of cargoes. The container is carried in together with the carry-in voucher.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container. Reference numeral 1 denotes a container. A container number 1a is entered on each of the top surface and front, rear, left and right side surfaces of the container 1. The container number 1a is defined by the ISO and, for example, as shown in the Figure, includes eleven characters of ABZU 0012346. In other words, four characters are assigned as an owner code in which a capital U in the last is a common code to indicate a container. A number includes a 6-digit set of numerals and one numeral used in checking an error in the code and number is attached at the end. As a consequence, the container number 1a is shown as an 11-digit set of characters in total.
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the container deposited on a trailer. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes the container. The container 1 is deposited on a trailer 2 with handles of closing doors 1b being sealed by a seal 3.
FIG. 4A is a plan view of an example of a conventional seal and shows a state before sealing. The seal 3 comprises a cover 3a and a band 3b. A protrusion 3c is provided at a tip end of the band 3b and a seal number 3d is impressed on the band 3b. The band 3b is made of color steel sheet iron. FIG. 4B shows a state after sealing; by bending the planar band 3b and inserting the protrusion 3c through a hole (not shown) on the cover 3a to be caulked, the seal 3 forms a loop that will not open again unless it is broken. It should be appreciated that the seal 3 is not limited to that of the above-mentioned band type and may be of various kinds including rod and wire types.
FIG. 5 is a conceptive view of conventional carry-out (import) and -in (export) management of a container at the terminal entrance and exit gates. Upon carry-out or -in of a loaded container to import or export cargoes, the loaded container 1 with the container number 1a entered on each of its top, front, rear, left and right surfaces is deposited on the trailer (chassis) 2 and transported to the container terminal. The trailer 2 stops once when it arrives in front of a check-in booth 4 of the terminal entrance or exit gate and an operator (driver) of the trailer hands the voucher (containerized cargo carry-out or -in voucher) having been brought with him or her and describing the physical distribution information such as the shipping company, the name of the ship and the container number to a gateman (staff) to perform the container carry-out or -in procedure with the voucher. The gateman places the voucher on a camera table in the check-in booth 4 and transmits the content thereof to a clerk room (not shown) and transmits the seal number after he or she has confirmed whether the seal is sealed completely or not. Also, when the trailer 2 has stopped, a camera 7 provided above each of the terminal entrance and exit gates photographs the container number 1a entered on the container 1 and transmits it to the clerk room. In the clerk room, a clerk confirms the content of the carryin voucher, the container number and seal number on the CRT screen and then inputs the same into the computer, whereby a container storage address in the container yard at the terminal, whether carry-out of the loaded container is allowed or not, etc. are determined by the computer, and the clerk prints out a destination or exit permit voucher from a printer booth 6. Meanwhile, the driver starts to and stops again in front of the printer booth 6, and receives the destination or exit permit voucher to move to an designated position in the container yard or exit. Reference numeral 5 denotes a crossing gate.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show a flowchart showing a summary of the conventional carry-out (import) or -in (export) management of the container at the container terminal, which is divided into two along a direction of the flow (FIGS. 6 and 7 show the upstream and downstream sides, respectively) with A and B being connections.
In the case of exporting cargoes, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the owner initially makes a reservation for a ship and prepares a document (containerized cargo carry-in voucher) which will be described below, and then requests a marine cargo distributor to transport a container. The distributor performs a procedure for export at a container custom office, and packs the cargoes into the container after the procedure for export is completed. When the packing job is completed, an operator (driver) of a trailer deposits the container on the trailer, and starts with the document being brought with him or her to a gate of the container terminal. When arriving at the gate, the driver passes the document to the gateman (staff). Upon receipt of the document, the gateman sets the document on the camera table and presses a button to photograph the document so that data is transmitted to a management room where it is displayed on a CRT screen. In the management room, the data is inputted into the computer with view of the CRT screen. Based on the data, the computer determines a container deposit address within the container yard in the container terminal. When the container deposit address (the spot of delivery with a yard crane) is determined, it is printed on a yard destination voucher in the management room and is passed to the driver. The information of the container deposit address is also transmitted to a terminal installed on the yard crane (yard cargo handling machine). Upon receipt of the yard destination voucher, the driver confirms the destination and drives the trailer to and stops at the destination address. When the trailer arrives at the container deposit address, the operator of the yard crane confirms the container number and storage address displayed on the terminal on the trailer, and lifts up the container by the yard crane and puts it down at the designated address (storage spot) in the container yard for storage. The operator of the yard crane presses a complete button when the container storage job is completed to update the data in the computer. As the container is lifted up by the yard crane, the driver of the trailer confirms the lifting and heads off to the gate of the container terminal to exit. Then, the container stored in the container yard is deposited on an inside transportation carriage (trailer or the like) by the yard crane and moved to under the container crane, so that the container is shipped by the container crane into the container ship at its predetermined address.
The yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) may be a tire type transfer crane in the form of a gantry crane which has tires at its legs and has a traverse trolley on its girder and which runs astride the containers stacked in 5 or 6 stages and 5 or 6 lines; a rail type transfer crane arranged in the same manner as above to run on rails astride the containers stacked in 5 or 6 stages in 9 or 10 lines; a straddle carrier in the form of a gantry carriage which has tires at its legs to run while keeping a single container lifted up; or an overhead traveling crane which runs on rails constructed in the air, etc.
On the other hand, in the case of importing the cargoes, prepared is a document filled with physical distribution information similar to that on the document prepared in the case of exportation; and an empty container is transferred in a manner opposite to that upon exporting. The container is moved in a direction opposite to the above-described direction to be transported outside by the trailer.
Thus, at the container terminal, a yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) cooperates with an inside transportation carriage (trailer) upon storage of a container in a container yard, carry-out of a container for import, stacking or unstacking of a container unshipped or to be shipped and re-transferring (marshalling) of a stored container for convenience of shipping; and a container crane cooperates with an inside transportation carriage upon shipping and unshipping of a container. In this connection, that which runs on an ordinary road is referred to as a trailer whereas that which runs only within a container terminal are referred to as an inside transportation carriage or simply as a carriage.
Here, the operators of the yard crane (yard cargo handling machine), the container crane and the inside transportation carriage will store and unload the container in accordance with a procedure prepared at a physical distribution center in the container terminal.
More specifically, a procedure manual for the operator of the yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) describes the container number, the number of the trailer or carriage for carry-in or -out of the container, the address where the container labeled with the above number is to be stored, the address where the container labeled with the above number is currently stored, etc.; and the operator of the yard cargo handling machine stores or unloads the container in accordance with the procedure by visually confirming the container number and trailer or carriage number.
Also, a procedure manual for the operator of the container crane describes the container number, the address in the container ship where the container is to be deposited, an order of unloading the containers, etc.; and the operator proceeds with the operation by confirming the container number entered on the container as well as the number of the inside transportation carriage which transports the container.
Further, a procedure manual for the operator of the inside transportation carriage describes the location of the container crane or yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) where the empty carriage is to stop by to deposit a container, and the location of the container crane or yard crane where the carriage having the container deposited thereon is to stop by to withdraw the container; and the driver proceeds with the operation by confirming the number of the container to be extracted.
However, with the conventional management method of carry-in and -out of containers, the gateman at the terminal gate has to check whether the seal is complete or not and read and input the seal number, which may induce an input error.
Also, the trailer stops at the terminal entrance or exit gate and the gateman confirms the sealing and transmits the seal number as has been discussed. The gateman also transmits a video of the voucher which the driver is carrying with him or her to the clerk room, and then the camera provided at the terminal entrance or exit gate photographs the container number entered on the container, which is confirmed on the CRT screen in the clerk room and manually inputted into the computer, thereby possibly causing an input error. Also, the driver is kept waited at the terminal entrance or exit gate, and after starting off, he or she has to stop again in front of the printer booth to receive the destination or exit permit voucher, which makes transportation efficiency of a container poor.
Moreover, in the conventional container management method in shipping and unshipping containers, etc. which relies on visual confirmation, once a human error occurs, the job procedure is disturbed, which may lower cargo handling efficiency. Furthermore, it is impossible to automate a cargo handling operation.
The present invention is devised to solve the above problems in the prior art, and therefore has its object to provide a container managing apparatus and method which can radio-control and automate operations such as reading and confirmation of physical distribution information, reading and confirmation of the container number, confirmation of sealing by the seal and reading and confirmation of the seal number at the terminal entrance or exit gate, and further, storage, carry-out, stacking or unstacking of a container unshipped or to be shipped, marshalling, stocktaking, and shipping or unshipping, thereby enhancing efficiency in transferring a container.
According to the invention, in a case of carry-in of a container for export, the cargoes are packed in an empty container labeled with a radio IC number tag into which a container number (container information) sent from the shipping company has been inputted. Upon completion of the packing, the closing doors of the container are closed and sealed by attaching a radio IC seal tag (container information input medium) supplied from the shipping company and capable of sending a seal number (container information) only in the state of sealing. Then, the container is deposited on a trailer (container transporting body) to which is set a radio IC document tag (physical distribution information input body) having physical distribution information inputted; the trailer is conveyed to the terminal entrance gate (check point). At the entrance gate, a radio antenna arranged there receives the physical distribution information from the radio IC document tag of the trailer and transmits the information to a computer in a physical distribution information center while the radio antenna also reads the container number from the radio IC number tag applied on the container and having the container number inputted as well as the seal number from the radio IC seal tag having the seal number inputted. The radio antenna transmits such information to the physical distribution information center where the computer checks it up with physical distribution information having been received from the shipping company and inputted beforehand and that of the radio IC document tag, etc., to confirm whether the container number and seal number are coincident with those of the physical distribution information of the above-mentioned radio IC document tag. The computer performs data processing to compute a storage address and instructs it through the radio antenna to the trailer. Here, the computer at the information center checks the information received and, when the information has discrepancy, instructs through the radio antenna the empty trailer to move to a turnout yard. In the turnout yard, an attendant gives an instruction to the driver.
On the other hand, in a case where an empty trailer exits through the exit of the container terminal after it has transferred a loaded container to a container yard for export or it has transferred an empty container to the container yard for storage, upon passing of the empty trailer through the exit gate of the container terminal, the radio antenna receives the physical distribution information from the radio IC document tag on the empty trailer and transmits the same to the physical distribution information center. The computer in the information center checks it up with the physical distribution information obtained beforehand from the shipping company to confirm the coincidence with that of the radio IC document tag, and upon confirmation of the coincidence, the computer grants through the radio antenna exit permission to the empty trailer.
Further, in a case of carry-out of an imported container, the driver of the empty trailer passes through the terminal gate, deposits a container on the empty trailer at the storage address in the container yard, and exits from the terminal through the terminal gate. Since the radio IC number tag has been applied on the container, as is with the carry-in (export) of the container, the container number can be read and confirmed by a reader of the radio antenna at the terminal gate.
As has been discussed, since the procedures at the terminal entrance and exit gates are performed by radio-controlled jobs, the procedures can be automated to omit manual input jobs, thereby eliminating a possibility of an input error by manual input. Since the driver can go through the terminal entrance and exit gates without stopping there, transfer efficiency of a container can be improved. Further, since the radio IC seal tag attached to the closing doors of the container and the radio antenna provided at the terminal gate are used to read the seal number and since the radio IC number tag applied on the container and having the container number inputted and the radio antenna provided at the terminal gate or the like are used to precisely read the container number, it is possible to automate procedures at the terminal gate through radio-controlled jobs, thereby eliminating an input error.
In this respect, in carry-out and -in of the container, an IC card (radio IC card) having physical distribution information inputted may be prepared to be set to a terminal installed on a trailer, and the trailer moves to the gate of the container terminal. In this case, upon passing of the trailer through the gate, the terminal on the trailer transmits the physical distribution information of the IC card through a terminal on the gate to the physical distribution information center where it is subjected to data processing so as to instruct a container delivery spot with a yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) to the trailer through the terminal on the gate, while identification information of the trailer or container, the container delivery spot with the trailer and a container storage spot are instructed to a terminal installed on the yard crane. Upon completion of the storage or withdrawal of the container, the terminal on the yard crane transmits information on the completion to the physical distribution information center, so that the information center updates the data of container storage information. As a result, the procedures of carry-out and -in of the containers using containerized cargo carry-in vouchers at the gate of the container terminal can be omitted, thereby making it possible to improve transfer efficiency of the container.
Also, according to the invention, in a case of loading a container in the container yard by the yard cargo handling machine, a radio antenna is arranged on the machine to receive container number information in the form of radio waves from a container number tag applied on the container and to check up the same with job order information from a host computer. As a result, different from the conventional method in which an operator visually confirms the container number to check up the same with the job procedure, there is virtually no room of a human error. Also, in the case of unstacking, besides the container number, carriage number information of a carriage on which the container is to be deposited is automatically obtained and checked up with the job order information. Thus, there is virtually no room of a human error in this case, either. Hence, the job procedure will not be disturbed by a human error and cargo handling efficiency is improved.
Further, according to the invention, in a case of shipping by a container crane, a radio antenna is arranged on the container crane to receive container number information in the form of radio waves from a container number tag applied on the container and to check up the same with job order information from a host computer. As a result, different from the conventional method in which an operator visually confirms the container number to check up the same with the job order, there is virtually no room of a human error. Also, in the case of unshipping, besides the container number, number information of a carriage on which the container is to be deposited is automatically obtained and is checked up with the job order information. Thus, there is virtually no room of a human error in this case, either. Hence, the job procedure will not be disturbed by a human error and cargo handling efficiency is improved.
Furthermore, according to the invention, a carriage number tag is applied on an inside transportation carriage, so that the number thereof can be automatically read by the container crane or yard crane (yard cargo handling machine). As a result, there is virtually no room of a human error that an operator of the container crane or yard crane may load the container with the number instructed in the job order list on a carriage other than that instructed in the job order list. Hence, the job procedure will not be disturbed by a human error and cargo handling efficiency is improved.